New Product Review: Hevy Handmade Leather Camera Straps

I’d like to say I found Hevy, but they found me, on Instagram. I noticed a few Likes on my photos of vintage cameras from the user HevyLeather. When I looked at their profile and saw the handmade leather camera straps, I knew they were something worth checking out. Sisti Handayani at Hevy was kind enough to answer my questions and sent me some straps for this review. I immediately noticed how quickly Hevy responds to email, their customer service is outstanding. They operate out of Southern Asia in Indonesia where they’ve been making camera straps since January 2014. Hevy started selling their straps at local markets, art festivals and then online. According to Hevy, they’ve been very successful with film and mirrorless camera photographers. All Hevy products are handmade from original cow leather, something your nose quickly notices when removing them from the packaging. Aside from the wonderful leather smell, the first thing I noticed was the quality. Hevy has paid attention to detail and knows what photographers need and want in a camera strap. The stitching and leather quality make their straps sturdy and attractive.

The smallest of the straps is the Hevy Classic Wrist Strap (17mm wide x 210mm long), perfect for digital point-and-shoot, mirrorless or film cameras. The Hevy Wrist Strap attaches to the side lug mount on the camera body with a strong split-ring. There’s also a leather strap bumper to protect the camera from getting scratched by the ring. The strap hangs the camera from your wrist in a way that you can easily go from walking to positioning it at eye level. There’s a single piece of leather with the Hevy logo that allows you loosen or tighten the strap on your wrist. This strap is ideal for street photography or quick shots where you’re moving from one place to another. The Hevy Classic Wrist strap comes in a wide selection of leather colors and is priced at $19 plus shipping.

The Hevy Classic Neck Strap (Nubuck Brown), with split-ring mount, is ideal for a vintage film (SLR or TLR) or digital mirrorless cameras. The wide padding makes the camera comfortable to carry around the neck or hang over the shoulder. Like the Hevy Classic Wrist Strap, there’s a leather bumper to protect the camera body from the split-ring. The Hevy Classic Neck Strap (Havanah Adjustable) has a larger padded area and attaches to the camera body with adjustable buckles. This strap has a clean look with stitching on the edges that extend down to the rivet. These straps certainly compliment the look of the camera. These straps also come in a variety of leather colors for $27 plus shipping.

When it comes to leather camera straps, keep in mind the weight of your camera and what the strap will be supporting. For example, I wouldn’t expect to put my Canon 6D with battery grip and the 70 – 200mm lens on an inferior strap. The Hevy Classic DSLR strap is made for larger cameras, 1100mm long and 25mm wide and costs $35. This is an excellent price for the size and quality. They also make a version with extra padding at 40mm wide. Because Hevy is a small company, you can expect one-on-one attention for custom orders and special requests. Hevy ships worldwide from Indonesia and would like to expand their product line to camera bags, camera cases, double camera straps, and guitar straps. At the moment, Hevy doesn’t have an online store, but they sell direct, and that equates to better prices for customers. They are currently active on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, with a website in the development stages. Customers can email questions to and orders to them at hevyleather@gmail.com, or contact them on Whatsapp (+62 877 382 6666 9). Personally, I really enjoy working with a small ambitious company like Hevy. They are eager to make customers happy and grow their business. At the same time, customers get to enjoy a great product at an affordable price. I also appreciate that my Hevy straps are unique and look good on my film cameras. If you’re in the market for a new camera strap, a replacement strap, or have never owned a handmade leather camera strap, make sure to check out Hevy.